Turkey gets to grips with 'honour killings'

Turkey is poised to introduce mandatory life sentences for those who carry out "honour killings", in an effort to combat a crime which has marred its quest to join the EU.

Wide-ranging changes to the penal code will end the current practice of allowing murderers to plead family honour as an extenuating circumstance to justify killings.

"Turkey clearly realises this is an issue that can be used to very good effect by those who are sceptical of Turkish membership of the EU," said James Ker-Lindsay who runs a regional thinktank. "This is the latest sign that Turkey is increasing efforts to improve its human rights record."

MPs are expected to vote on the long-awaited legal code, which also introduces articles on gender discrimination, after the summer recess in September. The reform, part of a programme enacted by Ankara's modernising Islamist government, comes amid widespread revulsion at the alarming growth of honour crimes in the Muslim country.

Girls as young as 12 have been stabbed, stoned or bludgeoned to death for conversing with strangers or "dishonouring" relatives by being raped. Experts believe that, with many of the murders passed off as suicides, up to 300 take place every year.

Most of the killings occur in the Kurdish-populated south-east where females fall victim to customs dating back generations. Brothers or cousins of a victim are called upon by a family council to conduct the murder, often in broad daylight.

In a report on violence against women in Turkey, Amnesty International highlighted the case of a man who had a 24-year prison term for stabbing his partner to death reduced to two and a half years after producing photographs of the woman with another man.

The ruling Justice and Development party, which hopes to secure a start date for membership talks with Brussels this December, has been passing reforms to open up and democratise the country at breakneck speed since assuming power 15 months ago.

The prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said last week the EU should not be allowed any excuse to hold up membership talks with Turkey.